Dave I Posted October 15, 2007 Report Share Posted October 15, 2007 (edited) I have a few guitar builds in mind, all based on Les Paul, PRS, or Carvin CT designs. The tried & true formula seems to be Mahogany base with a figured Maple top. However . . . How different would the tone be between an all-Mahogany guitar vs. the Mahogany with maple cap? For the sake of discussion, how different would an all-Mahogany Les Paul sound (Mahogany base, carved and figured Mahogany top) than a standard Gibson Les Paul build? Or for that matter, a Mahogany base with a flamed Korina/Limba cap? *Edit: If there is a thread that already discusses this, feel free to just post a link and tell me to read it. Thanks in advance! -Cheers Edited October 15, 2007 by Dave I Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave I Posted October 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2007 One more thing . . . If there is a good place to look at what Black Limba looks like stained, please let me know. I am curious what a finished Limba cap looks like on a guitar, possibly flamed and bookmarked, compared to Maple and Mahogany (my other likely options). Thanks in advance! -Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted October 15, 2007 Report Share Posted October 15, 2007 The maple adds some top end so generally speaking solid mahogany guitars are darker - some people will say muddier but its a sound i prefer. Limba generally sounds a tad richer than mahogany - it is a better tonal balance than just mahagany and manages to stay away from the 'muddy' descriptions that mahogany can get This is white limba/korina rather than the darker streaky stuff but its shows the wood under colour http://www.felineguitars.com/workshop/recent_finished.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave I Posted October 16, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2007 Anybody ever make an all-mahogany or all-korina/limba Les Paul, with a mahogany base and figured/carved mahogany cap (or korina)? I am curious they would sound versus one with a maple cap. Are they just a shade darker/rounder, or is it a much more radical difference than that? -Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave I Posted October 16, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2007 If there is a place with clips of an all-mahogany or all-korina guitar I would be interested. Especially if there was a side-by-side, if such an unlikely thing even exists. Never played a Korina guitar, although I did own a Gibson LP Special for a while (thinner than LP Standard, Mahogany body, no cap). -Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikbojerik Posted October 16, 2007 Report Share Posted October 16, 2007 Welcome to the forum Dave Good to see another cheesehead. I'll second what Wez said about limba/korina (they are the same species); a bit less muddy than mahogany, but similar overall character. It will give you that characteristic Les Paul honk, but limba on top of mahogany will not sound much different from all-mahogany. Usually limba is used as a mahogany substitute. FWIW I just built a LP-type guitar with a black limba body and a cap of macassar ebony with EMGs, black limba neck, maple fretboard....pretty different from typical LP construction, but with your eyes closed it still sounds like a Les Paul. Not an earth shattering difference, but slightly less mids, sharper attack, more hi-fi IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave I Posted October 16, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2007 (edited) Welcome to the forum Dave Good to see another cheesehead. Thanks Erik. The Packers are 5-1 going into the bye week, so it is a good time to be a Cheesehead. I'll second what Wez said about limba/korina (they are the same species); a bit less muddy than mahogany, but similar overall character. It will give you that characteristic Les Paul honk, but limba on top of mahogany will not sound much different from all-mahogany. Usually limba is used as a mahogany substitute. Sounds about what I thought. The limba-as-a-cap idea was more for the possibility of getting a flamed top with a warmer tone contribution than Maple. I really like smooth, non-jagged and non-shrill upper notes, so thought maybe a flamed limba cap could give me a compromise between the warmth of Mahogany and the beauty and articulation of Maple. The all-Mahogany or all-Limba guitar is interesting. I want all of the warmth, roundness, and thick tone of the Mahogany without it being dead, flat, and lifeless. I would presume that should not be a problem with a carved top all-Mahogany or all-Korina guitar, but I would like to confirm that with others who have done that before I skip out on the Maple, if that makes any sense. -Cheers Edited October 16, 2007 by Dave I Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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